Improved washing-machine



UNITED STATESA PATENT OFFICE.

IMPROVED WASHING-MACHINE.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 27,809, dated April 10, 1860.

T 0 all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, Josnn JOHNSON, ofthe city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Washing-Machine; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in whic Figure 1 is a vertical section of the machine. Fig. 2 is a face View of the wash-board, and Fig. 3 is a face view of the rubbing-disk.

Similar letters of reference denote like parts in all the drawings.

The nature of my invention consists in the combination and arrangement of an inclined wash-board, atub with asemi-cyliudrical base, and a revolving disk mounted in a plane parallel to the wash-board and capable of being slid toward and from the same by the same hand which revolves it, the disk being sosupportedand operated that the entire faces of the disk and washboard are unobstructed in their action.

A washing machine should be simple, convenient of access, and easy of operation. All of these conditions are fnllled in my invention.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to de scribe its construction and operation by the aid of the drawings.

A is a corrugated wash-board, which may form one side of a case or tub, as represented, or it may be separate therefrom, if desirable.

B B Bare the sides ofa case which serves the purpose of a tub. The bottom C of this case or tub is made semi-cylindrical, and is formed of zinc or other suitable material. This case is supported upon legs, and is inclined from the horizontal at a convenient angle, as represented in Fig. l. On the side B opposite the wash-board A, I attach a long bearing, b, in which I hang a shaft, D, perpendicular to the face of the wash-board A. On the inner end of this shaft I tix a wheel, E, nearly as large as will turn in the case, and having its face corrugated or otherwise roughened. To the other end of D, I attach another wheel, F, about equal in weight to E, with a handle, f, in its face. A crank may be used in place of F, but I prefer the wheel as shown, as itserves to counterbalance the wheel E, and acts also as a liyewheel to equalize the power. The shaft D is free to slide longitudinally in the bearing b by the act-ion of the hand ofthe operator at the same time that it is revolved, so as to bring the face of E nearerto or farther from the face of A.

The operation of my machine is as follows: The case A B C is partially filled with water or soap-suds or other proper liquid. The wheel E is slid back from the washboard and the clothes inserted between them. Upon the wheel E being rotated through shaft D and crank'D and crank f the clothes form themselves into rolls and roll around between the faces of A and E, alternately absorbing water as they dip into it, and again parting with it as they come above the surface, aided by the pressure ofE and the rolling motion. By reversing the motion of E the clothes are unrolled and rolled again in the opposite direction, thus presenting new surfaces to the action of the machine.

By the inclination of the wash-board A from the horizontal position, and the corresponding arrangement of the other parts as herein described, I obtain the following advantages:

First. The handle or crank j" is raised to a convenient height for operating,while the top of the wash-board A is sufficiently low to be convenient for use as a common washboard, and for introducing, examining, and removing the clothes.

Second. The disk and washboard may be more than one-half immersed in water without any portion thereof leaking out at the bearing b, as is shown by the blue lines iu Fig. 1.

Third. Should any small portions remain dirty, they can be rubbed by hand upon the wash-board A, as in an ordinary tub.

Fourth. The rubber E, being but partially immersed and having no tendency to float away from A, but tending by its own weight and that of the wheel F to slide toward it, requires little force to'keep it in proper contact with the clothes, and consequently is operated with greater' ease, and all springs and levers for that purpose are dispensed with.

I do not wish to confine myself to any particnlar degree of inclination of the Wash-board A; but I prefer to place it an angle of about seventy degrees from the horizon.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination and arrangement of an inclined wash board, A, with the revolving disk E, which is parallel to and capable of sliding toward and from A by the action of the same hand which operates it, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

JOSEE JOHNSON.

` Witnesses:

THOMAS D. STE'rsoN,

G. H. BABcocK. 

